Consumer Watchdog is a (fiercely) independent consumer rights and advocacy organisation campaigning on behalf of the consumers of Botswana, helping them to know their rights and to stand up against abuse. Contact us at watchdog@bes.bw, call us on +267 3904582 or find us on Facebook by searching for Consumer Watchdog Botswana. Everything we do for the consumers of Botswana has always been and always will be entirely free.

Monday, 20 April 2009

We get an email

Attn: Consumer Watchdog

THE RETAIL/BUSINESS IS RIPPING US OF DAILY, THEY NEVER REDUCED PRICE AFTER THE FALL OF OIL PRICES.

Following the huge reduction in the price of crude oil down to US$ 52.00 per barrel, we urge you kindly but without delay to;

REDUCE YOUR PRICES IMMEDIATELY!

“It will adjust itself through market mechanism” according to the incompetent, unable, failing and ridiculous white elephant Ministry of Trade and Consumer affairs, knowing that all business is owned by INDIANS !

WHAT A RIPP-OFFIF YOU ARE WHAT YOU CLAIM TO BE A “CONSUMER WATCHDOG”“DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT “

Regards,

Consumer interest group !

Where shall I begin?

Firstly, I'll ask why some people people think that we are so infantile that we need the Government to control prices for us. Yes, the market will decide the right level for prices but it's naive to think that "free market" means it's free from control. It means that we are free to take from it what we can afford and free to choose the suppliers from whom we buy. Let's just buy wisely and not go to stores where the prices are higher than we think they should be. They'll soon change their prices if sufficient people vote with their feet and with their wallets and purses.

I'm no defender of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Consumer Affairs Unit, I happen to think we can survive perfectly well without their services.

Secondly claiming that "all business" is owned by Indians is stupid, racist and (sorry for the technical term) crap.

Finally, asking Consumer Watchdog to "so something" about prices is a mistake. No, we won't.

Nor should anyone else. To misquote Dr Johnson, price controls are "the last refuge of a scoundrel". The moment you pass over control of prices to some buffoon in a Government office you get economic stagnation, delusions of competence and black markets. The technical term for this is "Zimbabwe".

1 comment:

As an "Indian" woman (meaning I have brown skin, but have never been to India nor speak a single Indian language, by the way), perhaps you should take the example from Uganda. When people start pointing fingers at colour of skin rather than whether the service is provided or not, you get the same situation that happened in Uganda: The Indians were targeted for "owning all the businesses". Indians left, and with them, their money, business and expertise. The result, the country fell down the toilet, and years later, the government posted something in the newspapers urging "Indians" to re-settle and re-invest in Uganda. They didnt. Who would take such a risk? It could very well have been any other group that was targeted and harassed as that group were.

This is not about RACE. In these economic times, it is the most ludicrous statement to make. Do yo not watch the news or read the newspapers? Do you not see the growing lines at the Labour offices, of people seeking employment? Do you not know what's going on in the world? Do you think Botswana is immune? Hello? Credit Crunch here... Instead of attracting investors, you make it seem like quite a racist kind of country to be in for potential big-spenders/buyers.

Please open a filling station, or any other business and show everyone (especially the "Indians") how it SHOULD be run. I certainly would be happy to learn how to do things correctly. Maybe that way people will stop pointing fingers at me and making me have to justify my presence here, (when in fact I was born and raised here) and my hiring of 70 BATSWANA (all indigenous, before you jump down my throat) staff members.

It's so retro having to hear all this Indian/Makoola stuff. Get over it. Apartheid ended in 1994 and people don't tolerate racism anymore. Instead of learning from our neighbour's mistakes, you seem keen on repeating them. The world is not the same as it was before September 2008. The world is at its knees economically speaking, and people like you are preventing the country from moving forward.

If you want apartheid, vote for it. If not, keep quiet and let the businesses run, whether owned by black, white, Indian, Chinese or Martian for all I care. Let people make their money and re-invest back into the country. Let the employees work and have make a living instead of trawling the streets. None of really have time to listen to drivel.

ps if you are so sure about the racist comments you are making, why don't you post your name? Unless it's all crap, intended to stir the already raging waters. I'm not afraid of what I am saying because I stand by it. Do you?

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We support consumers in Botswana, educating them on their rights, helping them to fix problems and exposing scams. Email us at watchdog@bes.bw, or call on +267 3904582 or fax on +267 3911763. It's all free, you've nothing to lose!